Best Biological Technician programs in South Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Assist biological and medical scientists. Set up, operate, and maintain laboratory instruments and equipment, monitor experiments, collect data and samples, make observations, and calculate and record results.
32 schools in South Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,369 people a year. The job pays a median of $53,040 in South Carolina across about 550 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in South Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
9 programs in South Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in South Carolina (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own South Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology/Biological Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0101In South Carolina → | 1,770 | 74.7% | 30 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 2 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanographymain feeder CIP 26.1302In South Carolina → | 248 | 10.5% | 3 | $29,460 | $23,480 |
| 3 | CIP 26.0202In South Carolina → | 119 | 5.0% | 8 | $38,243 | $23,014 |
| 4 | Neurosciencemain feeder CIP 26.1501In South Carolina → | 91 | 3.8% | 3 | $31,687 | $22,936 |
| 5 | Biomedical Sciences, Generalmain feeder CIP 26.0102In South Carolina → | 76 | 3.2% | 5 | $32,152 | $25,000 |
| 6 | CIP 26.0502In South Carolina → | 51 | 2.2% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 7 | CIP 26.0709In South Carolina → | 9 | 0.4% | 1 | $28,266 | $24,393 |
| 8 | CIP 26.0503In South Carolina → | 3 | 0.1% | 1 | $38,383 | $22,065 |
| 9 | Biostatisticsmain feeder CIP 26.1102In South Carolina → | 2 | 0.1% | 2 | $72,338 | $18,500 |
Top 25 schools in South Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 20 of the 32 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 5 feeder programs | 540 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $28,035 | 79% | — | 60% |
| 2 | Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · 3 feeder programs | 537 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $31,481 | 87% | — | 38% |
| 3 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Public · 3 feeder programs | 229 | Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | $26,838 | 48% | — | 75% |
| 4 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 197 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $30,538 | 66% | — | 60% |
| 5 | Wofford College Spartanburg, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 94 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $24,287 | 84% | $24,459 | 52% |
| 6 | Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $31,174 | 57% | — | 79% |
| 7 | Furman University Greenville, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 63 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $28,801 | 79% | $24,932 | 43% |
| 8 | Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 5 feeder programs | 52 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | — | — | — |
| 9 | University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 50 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,212 | 34% | — | 73% |
| 10 | Benedict College Columbia, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 49 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $22,805 | 24% | $19,589 | 96% |
| 11 | Francis Marion University Florence, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 49 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $27,223 | 43% | — | 86% |
| 12 | Claflin University Orangeburg, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 48 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $25,873 | 52% | $23,698 | 65% |
| 13 | Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 46 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $29,891 | 47% | $21,848 | 96% |
| 14 | South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $25,938 | 37% | — | 83% |
| 15 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 32 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,314 | 40% | — | 79% |
| 16 | University of South Carolina - Upstate Spartanburg, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 31 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $31,742 | 43% | — | 67% |
| 17 | Converse University Spartanburg, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 29 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 62% | $19,465 | 68% |
| 18 | Anderson University Anderson, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 66% | $24,812 | 55% |
| 19 | Presbyterian College Clinton, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $30,034 | 51% | $20,548 | 68% |
| 20 | North Greenville University Tigerville, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Biomedical Sciences, General | — | 55% | $20,327 | 67% |
| 21 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $36,066 | 75% | — | 23% |
| 22 | Lander University Greenwood, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $32,422 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 23 | Newberry College Newberry, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | $34,694 | 45% | $20,306 | 90% |
| 24 | Columbia College Columbia, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 17 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 37% | $23,986 | 94% |
| 25 | Erskine College Due West, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 17 | Biology/Biological Sciences, General | — | 45% | $21,534 | 63% |
All 32 schools in South Carolina
Every school in South Carolina with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia | Public | 540 | 5 |
| Clemson University | Clemson | Public | 537 | 3 |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway | Public | 229 | 3 |
| College of Charleston | Charleston | Public | 197 | 2 |
| Wofford College | Spartanburg | Private not-for-profit | 94 | 1 |
| Winthrop University | Rock Hill | Public | 66 | 1 |
| Furman University | Greenville | Private not-for-profit | 63 | 2 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | Charleston | Public | 52 | 5 |
| University of South Carolina Beaufort | Bluffton | Public | 50 | 1 |
| Benedict College | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 49 | 1 |
| Francis Marion University | Florence | Public | 49 | 1 |
| Claflin University | Orangeburg | Private not-for-profit | 48 | 2 |
| Charleston Southern University | Charleston | Private not-for-profit | 46 | 3 |
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg | Public | 32 | 1 |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | Aiken | Public | 32 | 2 |
What biological technicians earn in South Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $57,510. South Carolina pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in South Carolina
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Biological Technicians page.
How to become a Biological Technician
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in South Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 19 majors mapped to Biological Technicians19 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 26.0101Biology/Biological Sciences, General
- 26.0102Biomedical Sciences, General
- 26.0202Biochemistry
- 26.0204Molecular Biology
- 26.0406Cell/Cellular and Molecular Biology
- 26.0502Microbiology, General
- 26.0503Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
- 26.0508Microbiology and Immunology
- 26.0701Zoology/Animal Biology
- 26.0708Animal Behavior and Ethology
- 26.0709Wildlife Biology
- 26.0801Genetics, General
- 26.1102Biostatistics
- 26.1103Bioinformatics
- 26.1104Computational Biology
- 26.1302Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography
- 26.1304Aquatic Biology/Limnology
- 26.1501Neuroscience
- 41.0101Biology/Biotechnology Technology/Technician
Common questions
Answers for people weighing biological technicians programs in South Carolina.
What degree do you need to become a Biological Technician?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which awarded 1,770 degrees in South Carolina in 2024-25, 74.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Biological Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 9 programs to this occupation. The largest are Biology, Ecology, Biochemistry, Neurobiology and Neurosciences, plus 3 more. Together they graduate about 2,369 people a year in South Carolina.
How much do biological technicians earn in South Carolina?+
The median is $53,040 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 7.8% below the U.S. median of $57,510. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for biological technicians growing?+
BLS projects a +3.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 9,100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in South Carolina?+
32 institutions in South Carolina reported graduates from at least one of the 9 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do biological technicians work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Research Associate, Research Technician, Biological Technician, Laboratory Technician among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-4021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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